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While we agree that “access to good jobs, good schools and safe communities” are critical to achieving shared prosperity, our picture differs widely in terms of what Floridians experience in their daily lives.

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My colleague Rep. Byron Donalds recently opined that Donald Trump is somehow a savior for black Floridians. While we agree that “access to good jobs, good schools and safe communities” are critical to achieving shared prosperity, our picture differs widely in terms of what Floridians experience in their daily lives.

As I meet people throughout the state, I often hear about the rising cost of living, inflation that fails to keep up and wages that remain stagnant. We face a housing affordability crisis, with Miami-Dade topping the list as the most expensive metro in the U.S. for renters and one of the costliest for prospective home buyers.

Since Donald Trump took office, wage growth has slowed significantly and average earnings continue to decline. In fact, nearly two-thirds of voters say they are not better off financially since Trump was elected, including 31% who say they are actually worse off. Here in Florida, black unemployment remains more than two-and-a-half times higher than the white jobless rate, as does the black poverty rate.

Rep. Shevrin Jones(Photo: Submitted)

Donald Trump promised his tax scam law would pay for itself and benefit workers — but neither happened. The federal deficit has reached nearly $1 trillion, the highest in seven years. Trump promised to stop jobs from leaving Florida and bring back previously outsourced jobs, and yet, he’s actually incentivized companies to move jobs offshore. How this is “conservative” or “common-sense” in any way is beyond me.

Floridians are frustrated by skyrocketing prescription drug costs, as many spend more than double their monthly incomes on medications and must choose between treatment and feeding their families. Throughout 2016, Trump promised to make healthcare more affordable, but instead, his efforts to sabotage the Affordable Care Act led to higher premiums for Florida residents.

As a product of Florida public schools and former educator in Broward County, I know firsthand that we are not doing what we should when it comes to providing a quality education for all students. Teacher pay in Florida ranks at 48th nationally, a shameful statistic that speaks to the state’s failure of our educators and our kids.

I’ve talked to countless teachers who pay out of pocket for classroom supplies. They are literally invested in our kids’ futures – so why aren’t we investing in them? Clearly my colleague bought into the Donald Trump-Betsy DeVos model that prioritizes unaccountable, for-profit corporations at the expense of our neighborhood public schools and children.

Are these realities what my colleague and friend, Rep. Donalds, means by “thriving”? If so, we must have very different definitions of that word. Merriam-Webster defines “thriving” as “characterized by success of prosperity.”

When more than half of all households in my home county of Broward can't afford basic necessities, like housing, transportation, healthcare and childcare, I fail to see how that is “thriving.”

As homelessness among veterans and families with children continues to rise year after year in Collier County, which Rep. Donald represents, I fail to see how that is “thriving.”

Florida can and should be a state where families can build a healthy future and both workers and businesses can thrive. To get there, we must pursue policies that boost household incomes, clean up and modernize the tax code, tap into Floridians’ potential by investing in education and health, and prioritize smart growth and job creation that are rooted in equity.

These are the values I’m fighting for at the state level and will do everything I can to ensure Donald Trump is a one-term president. I’m confident that Floridians will hold Donald Trump accountable for his record of broken promises.